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3 May 2021 How should we theorize about justice in the genomic era?
Colin Farrelly
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Abstract

The sequencing of the human genome and advances in gene therapy and genomic editing, coupled with embryo selection techniques and a potential gerontological intervention, are some examples of the rapid technological advances of the “genetic revolution.” This article addresses the methodological issue of how we should theorize about justice in the genomic era. Invoking the methodology of non-ideal theory, I argue that theorizing about justice in the genomic era entails theorizing about (1) the new inequalities that the genetic revolution could exacerbate (e.g., genetic discrimination, disability-related injustices, and gender inequality), and (2) those inequalities that the genetic revolution could help us mitigate (e.g., the risks of disease in early and late life). By doing so, normative theorists can ensure that we develop an account of justice that takes seriously not only individual rights, equality of opportunity, the cultural and sociopolitical aspects of disability, and equality between the sexes, but also the potential health benefits (to both individuals and populations) of attending to the evolutionary causes of morbidity and disability.

Colin Farrelly "How should we theorize about justice in the genomic era?," Politics and the Life Sciences 40(1), 106-125, (3 May 2021). https://doi.org/10.1017/pls.2021.3
Published: 3 May 2021
JOURNAL ARTICLE
20 PAGES

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KEYWORDS
aging
Genetics
genome editing
ideal theory
justice
nonideal theory
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